Utilising Calendly for Testify Playtests
Calendly is a powerful tool that can streamline the process of scheduling playtesters for your game. With its user-friendly interface and customizable settings, Calendly makes it easy to coordinate with testers and find a time that works for everyone. In this article, we will walk you through how to use Calendly to schedule playtesters step-by-step.
Calendly is a very effective tool in multiple forms of testing, anytime a Participant needs to be scheduled into the test or an event supporting the test, Calendly can make everyone's life easier!
Calendly is most effective in tests such as:
Multiplayer Live Event tests (Scheduling Participants into event time)
Testing supported by Focus Groups (Seamlessly book Participants into the focus group post playtest)
Testing supported by Post Playtest Participant Interviews (Book Participants into interview post playtest)
Enhanced Security Testing (Book Participants into a pre-playtest interview)
Logistically complex testing (Book Participants into a pre-playtest briefing)
Step 1: Sign up for Calendly
The first step to using Calendly is to sign up for an account. You can do this by going to the Calendly website and selecting “Sign Up” in the top right corner. You can sign up with your Google or Microsoft account, or create a new account with your email address.
Step 2: Integrate with your calendar
Finally, you can integrate your Calendly account with your calendar to ensure that your playtesting sessions are scheduled in a way that doesn’t conflict with other events. To do this, select “Integrations” from the top menu, and then choose the calendar you’d like to integrate with. Once you’ve integrated your calendar, any events scheduled through Calendly will automatically be added to your calendar.
Step 3: Create an event type
Once you’ve created an account, you’ll want to create an event type for your playtesting session. To do this, select “Event Types” from the top menu, and then click “Create Event Type”. Then, the following fields will appear to you:
Event Name: This is the name of the event that will be displayed to your invitees. Be descriptive and concise so that people know what they’re signing up for.
Location: This field allows you to specify where the event will take place. You can choose to use a physical location, a virtual location (such as a video call), or simply indicate that the location is to be determined.
Description: In this field, you can provide additional information about the event, such as what will be covered, what participants should bring, or any other relevant details.
Duration: This field specifies how long the event will last. You can choose a fixed duration (such as 30 minutes or an hour) or allow invitees to select their preferred duration within a certain range.
Time Zone: Calendly automatically detects the time zone of the event creator, but you can also manually select a different time zone if needed.
Availability: This is where you set your availability for the event. You can choose specific days and times when you’re available, or allow Calendly to automatically generate availability based on your calendar.
Invitee Questions: Here, you can add custom questions that you want your invitees to answer when they sign up for the event. This can help you gather important information ahead of time, such as their contact details or any specific requirements they may have.
Event Type: This field allows you to select the type of event you’re creating, such as a one-on-one meeting, a group meeting, or a webinar.
Event Color: You can choose a color that will be associated with this event type, which can help you easily identify it on your calendar.
By filling out these fields, you can create a clear and comprehensive event type that will make it easy for invitees to understand what they’re signing up for, and help you gather all the information you need to make the event a success.
Step 4: Setup Reminders and Questions
Once we have setup the event, we are able, collect any Participant queries via the "Invitee Questions" tab, this will allow you to gather any questions the Participant has ahead of time and ensure their experience is as smooth as possible
Finally, we navigate to the "Notifications & Cancellations Policy" and select "Email Reminders"
Here, we will personalise an email message to go out to the Participant - we recommend setting the reminder to 1-2 hours prior to your event!
Attach the link to the discord server invite to this reminder email to provide your Participants with access.
Attach a link to any NDA documents that may also be required for the playtest.
Step 5: QA your Calendly Event
To ensure that the playtesters encounter your event as you intend it, select “View Live Page” at the top of your Calendly event to check how it will appear to the user.
We also suggest that you make a booking into your event during this process, this ensures that any automations that you have working such as Email Reminders can be tested. You can also test the Invitee Questions page to ensure that all information makes sense to Participants and you are going to capture the right information
Step 6: Share your link
Now that you’ve set your availability, you’ll want to share your Calendly link with your playtesters. You can do this by copying the link from the “Event Types” page and sending it to your testers via email, hyperlink or social media. You can also embed your Calendly link on your website.
Step 7: Manage your scheduling
As playtesters begin to schedule their sessions using your Calendly link, you’ll receive notifications of their requests. You can manage these requests by going to the “Scheduled Events” tab on your Calendly dashboard. Here, you can see all upcoming events, view participant details, and send reminders or follow-up messages to your playtesters.
In conclusion, using Calendly for scheduling Participants can save you time and hassle in coordinating schedules. By following these steps, you can create event types, set availability, share your link, manage scheduling, and integrate with your calendar. Don’t forget to personalise your event types, ask relevant questions, and make the scheduling process as easy as possible for your Participants.
Should you require further support regarding Calendly, please contact our Support line here, or consult the Calendly help guide